Weed-destroyer.



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L. LUGKHOPP.

WEED DESTROYER.

APPLICATION FILED 0(1T.5, 1911.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912. V

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L. LUCKHOPF.

WEED DESTROYER.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 5, 1911.

1,020,614, Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES LOUIS LUCKHOFF,

OF CANTON, OHIO.

WEED-DESTROYER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 5, 1911.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912. Serial No. 653,085.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS LUCKHO'FF, acitizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Starkand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWeed-Destroyers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in weed destroyers.

One object of-the invention is to provide a weed destroyer having animproved construction and arrangement of knives adapted to cut the weedsbelow the ground and to mutilate the same to such an extent that theywill be entirely destroyed.

Another object is to provide a machine of this character havingsupporting and operating wheels which enable the same to be readilypushed over the ground and the weeding operation thus greatlyfacilitated and speedily performed.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement ofparts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a side view of my improvedweed destroying machine; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is avertical cross section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 1 is a detailperspective view of a portion of the stationary blade of the machine.

My improved weed destroying machine comprises a cutter supporting frame1 having vertically disposed side bars 2 connected at their upper endsby an integral cross bar 3 and at their lower ends by a similar crossbar 4:, said bar 4 being beveled or inclined toward the front of themachine as shown. Bolted or otherwise secured to the upper cross bar 3is a plate or bar 5 having formed on its forward edge a pair offorwardly extending arms or wheel supporting bars 6, said bars beinggiven a quarter twist intermediate their ends so that the forward endsthereof form flat bearing plates having in their extremities notches 7adapted to re ceive the ends of the axle 8 of a front supporting anddriving wheel 9 which is revolubly mounted on the axle between the bars6 as shown. On the rear edges of the plate 5 are formed rearwardlyprojecting downwardly curved rear wheel supporting bars 10 havingnotched lower ends in which is secured the axle 11 of a rear supportingwheel 12. Formed on the plate 5 near the ends thereof are substantiallytriangular handle attaching plates 13 having in their outer endssegmental slots 14. Pivotally connected at their inner ends to theplates 13 by pivot bolts 15 are operating handles 16 which projectrearwardly from the machine as shown. The handles 16 are adjustablysecured at the desired angle by clamping bolts 17 which are engaged withthe *handles and with the curved slots 14 in the plates as shown.

Arranged on the plate 5 at one side of the center thereof are a pair ofupwardly projecting bearing standards 18 in which is revolubly mounted acutter operating shaft 19 on the inner end of which is fixedly mounted asprocket gear 20, said gear being connected with a similar gear 21 onthe supporting and operating wheel 9-by a sprocket chain 22 whereby themovement of the supporting wheel is imparted to the shaft 19.

Secured to the plate 4 and to the lower ends of the side bars 2 is astationary weed cutting blade 23, said blade being adapted to workbeneath the surface of the ground and to cut through the roots of theweeds. Revolubly mounted in the side bars 2 at a suitable distance abovethe stationary blade 23 is a rotary cutter 24 comprising hubs 25 havinga plurality of radially projecting blade supporting arms 26 to the outerends of which are secured the opposite ends of rotary cutter blades 27,said blades being of slightly spiral form as shown. Arranged on one endof the shaft 28 of the rotary out by a sprocket chain 30 to the sprocketgear 31 fixed on the adjacent end of the drive shaft 19 whereby themovement of said shaft is imparted to the rotary cutter when the machineis pushed along over the ground said cutter, co-acting with thestationary cutter 28, to further out or mutilate the weeds and thuspositively destroy the same.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings the construction and operation of the invention will be readilyunderstood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the ter is asprocket gear 29 which is connected principle or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a weed destroyingmachine, a cutter supporting frame, a stationary cutting blade securedin the lower end of said frame, Wheel supporting bars secured to theupper end of the frame, an operating wheel revolubly mounted in saidbars, rear supporting wheel bars secured to and projecting rearwardlyfrom said frame, a rear supporting wheel revolubly mounted in said bars,a drive shaft revolubly mounted in said frame and geared to saidoperating wheel whereby said shaft is driven, a rotary cutter revolublymounted in said frame and geared to said drive shaft whereby the cutteris driven, and operating handles connected with said frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LOUIS LUOKHOFF.

Witnesses:

LAURENCE C. KEELER, C. H. WILLIAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

